With the Tour’s dangers in mind, Liquigas-Cannondale manager Stefano Zanatta says the team will take a more conservative approach in the second half of the race. “He has enough points over Goss, so we can just choose the right stages for points.”

The veteran director also seems more cautious about Sagan’s goal for Paris. “Remember, Peter’s spent a lot of energy in the first week, he’s young and this is his first Tour de France. He still has to pass the mountains.”

If Zanatta sounds careful when talking about Sagan, it’s because in June Sagan’s big goal was to win a single stage. “That would have been enough. The green jersey was just a dream, but now we will do everything to protect it.”

The next sprint stage is 13, with Stages 15, 18, and 20 as the remaining flat days. Each day, the top 15 receive points, but the winner pulls in 35, with 30 for second, and 26 for third.

The high mountains of Stage 14 could also prove a boon to either sprinter. While racers face two Category 1 climbs and only 20 points for the winner (mountain stages have fewer points on the line), the last ascent tops out 38k from the finish. If GC contenders throttle back, a large pack could arrive in Foix with points up for grabs and, oddly enough, decide the green jersey in the Pyrenees.